villainsfandomcom-20200225-history
Separatarian Sect
The Separatarian Sect, also known as the "Separatarians", is a Christian Fundamentalist cult and the major antagonists of the Season 4 episode "Minimal Loss" of Criminal Minds. History Libertarian Leo Kane founded the Liberty Ranch (also known as the Liberty Church Ranch) within La Plata County, Colorado in 1980 as a self-sustaining community. At some point a pregnant woman sought shelter with the group and joined them, giving birth to a son she named Charles Mulgrew. Charles was unusually intelligent and, at the age of 17, was kicked out of the ranch when several young girls claimed he had forced himself on them. Charles, now known as Benjamin Cyrus, returned to the ranch in 2000, shortly after the death of his mother. Ben ousted Leo from power, putting a gun to his head and claiming God told him to take over. With Leo gone (and later incarcerated for tax evasion and assault) Ben introduced religion to the ranch, effectively transforming it into a cult. Stockpiling weapons during his leadership, Ben also had his way with several young female members of the cult, even marrying a few of them. In 2008, the cult came under investigation when a 911 call from a member implicated Ben was having sexual relations with a minor. Getting calls from the authorities, Ben agrees to allow three child interview experts in to talk to several of the girls living on the ranch. Liberty Ranch Hostage Crisis The First Raid When Nancy Lunde along with the undercover FBI agents Emily Prentiss and Spencer Reid arrived at the ranch, Ben greets them warmly and sets up an impromptu interview room in the schoolhouse. As Nancy and the agents talk to fifteen-year-old Jessica Evanson, discovering she is actually married to Ben, the ranch gets a tip that the police are planning a raid. Placing the women, children, Nancy, Reid, and Prentiss in the tunnels beneath the ranch, Ben and his most dedicated followers get into a heated firefight with the SWAT agents when they arrive. In the chaos, three of the cultists are killed, while two of the SWAT agents are wounded, and Nancy is accidentally killed by one of the agents' stray bullet when she ventures above to talk to Cyrus. Ordering a ceasefire, Ben allows the agents to leave with their wounded (one of whom dies en route to the hospital). Negotiations Begin When the authorities and the BAU team set up outside the ranch, Ben is contacted by Rossi, who begins negotiations, Ben telling him about Nancy's death during their discussion. Having agreed to give the cult medical supplies, Rossi drops off several bugged boxes the next day, Ben letting him inside and showing him the women and children, who he refuses to let go when Rossi asks him to. When Rossi leaves, Ben pours each member of his congregation a cup of wine, telling them after they drink it that the wine was poisoned. After instructing his lieutenant Chris Cole to write down the names of those who panic after hearing the announcement (to know who his true followers are), Ben tells everyone there was no poison and he was giving them a test. Turning Point Later, after seeing a news broadcast mentioning that an undercover FBI agent is in the ranch, Ben, when Prentiss admits to being that agent, takes her to an empty room and beats her unconscious, telling Chris to keep her tied upstairs. Getting advice from Reid, who realizes the ranch is already being bugged, Ben calls Rossi and claims he will release a child if they give the name of the FBI agent inside, as a trust test. Releasing a young girl, who was his daughter, Ben is told by Rossi that Prentiss is the agent before expulsing the members who failed his wine test, leaving only his most dedicated followers. Lying to Rossi, Ben claims the cult will surrender at noon and demands the press be present; in actuality, Ben is planning on a mass suicide as a last act of defiance and has his faithful followers rig the ranch to explode. Final Stand As 3:00 AM approaches, Ben offers Reid the chance to leave, an offer the agent declines, telling the cult leader he wants to be the one to tell the cult's story. Moments later, Ben notices a squad of Humvees approaching and, enraged by this development, goes outside and fires a machine gun in the air to get the attention of the press. Preparing for the inevitable attack, Ben, after seeing Reid trying to talk sense into Chris, beats him into submission just before Morgan and several SWAT agents burst into the room, having snuck in through the tunnels and evacuated Prentiss, the women, and the children. Both Ben and Chris are shot to death by Morgan and the agents. Having run back into the chapel after realizing her mother had tried tricking her into leaving by claiming that Ben had wanted her to bring everyone into the tunnels, Jessica, upon seeing her dead husband, grabs the detonator he had dropped and activates it, setting off the explosives that were spread throughout the chapel, killing herself and any of the dedicated followers still inside while Reid, Morgan, and the other agents manage to escape. Jessica's mother was later revealed to be the one who called in Prentiss, Reid, and Nancy to the ranch in the first place, to investigate the allegations of Ben's sexual relations with a minor. Known Casualties/Fatalities BAU and SWAT Casualties *Emily Prentiss and Spencer Reid (both held hostage): **Emily Prentiss (assaulted to near-unconsciousness by Benjamin) **Spencer Reid (assaulted by Benjamin and later nearly killed by the chapel explosion) *Bower and a second unnamed SWAT agent (both injured in the first raid; Bower died en route to the hospital) *Derek Morgan and numerous SWAT agents (nearly killed in the chapel explosion) ﻿ Separatarian Sect Casualties *3 cultists killed in the first raid: **Miles **Lauren **Robert *Benjamin Cyrus and Christopher Cole (both shot to death by SWAT agents) *Jessica Evanson and numerous unnamed members (killed when Jessica blew up the chapel with herself inside) Other Casualties *Nancy Lunde (a federal agent; was accidentally shot by a stray bullet by the SWAT team) Members *Benjamin Cyrus (leader; deceased). *Christopher Cole (second-in-command; deceased). *Jessica Evanson (deceased). *Kathy Evanson. *Miles (killed in the first raid along with the two below) *Lauren *Robert *The Sutters family **Todd Sutters (father) **Melanie Sutters (mother) **Nicholas and Nathan Sutters (sons) *Evan and Janelle Radley *Josh Scorpi *Sean Ebbins *Sherry Gelman *Alice Danfield *Wyatt Rayborn *Rowanci Dell *Doris Beasley *Benny Jenford *Willis Farwell *Numerous other unnamed Separatarian Sect members Known Victims *Numerous unnamed girls (molested only by Benjamin) *Bower and a second unnamed SWAT agent (both injured in the first raid; Bower died en route to the hospital) *Emily Prentiss and Spencer Reid (both held hostage): **Emily Prentiss (beaten to near-unconsciousness by Benjamin) **Spencer Reid (punched in the groin by Benjamin and later nearly killed by the chapel explosion) *Jessica Evanson and numerous unnamed members (killed when Jessica blew up the chapel with herself inside) *Derek Morgan and numerous SWAT agents (nearly killed in the chapel explosion) Gallery Separatarian Sect.jpg Members of the Separatarian Sect.jpg Trivia *Jenna Boyd, who portrayed Jessica Evanson, was born on March 4, 1993, while the was underway. Navigation Category:Criminal Minds Villains Category:Cults Category:Delusional Category:Dissolved Organizations Category:Extremists Category:Fanatics Category:Homicidal Category:Imprisoned Category:Kidnapper Category:Live Action Villains Category:Murderer Category:One-Shot Category:Organizations Category:Pawns Category:Possessed/Brainwashed Category:Status Dependent on Version Category:TV Show Villains Category:Type Dependent on Version